S
yracuse’s 8-7 finish last year was a vast improvement from 2022, but it still marked the second straight season that the Orange failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Since making it for the first time in 1979, SU had never missed the postseason tournament in back-to-back years.
Now, the Orange are looking to get back to national prominence in head coach Gary Gait’s third season at the helm. They have tons of new faces on the team, including Tufts transfer Mason Kohn and five-star recruit Trey Deere. Joey Spallina is also back after a year in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League, where he was teammates with Deere and other freshmen.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse men’s lacrosse will fare in 2024:
Zak Wolf
Under pressure
Record Prediction: 11-4 (2-2 ACC)
X-Factor: Mason Kohn
MVP: Will Mark
Syracuse comes into the 2024 season with expectations to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021. SU faces a tough schedule as it’s set to play seven of the top eight teams in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll. The question isn’t whether Syracuse will be tested, but will it survive?
With veteran additions like Jake Stevens and Sam English along with faceoff man Mason Kohn, the Orange will be more experienced this year. Kohn is going to be the x-factor on a team which struggled to consistently win faceoffs last season. At Tufts, Kohn won 72% of his faceoffs — while the Orange won just 42% — and was the Division-III specialist of the season.
Kohn’s ability from the faceoff X gives the Orange a different dynamic from last season which will lead to them having one of the best offenses in the ACC. The tough schedule will provide some bumps in the road, but ultimately Syracuse will make the NCAA tournament for the first time under head coach Gary Gait.
Cooper Andrews
A new mindset
Record Prediction: 12-3 (2-2 ACC)
X-Factor: John Odierna
MVP: Joey Spallina
Under Gait, Syracuse hasn’t been more well-equipped to handle a gauntlet of a schedule. Even through a middle-of-the-pack 2023 campaign, the Orange had one of the top offenses in the nation. They ranked No. 3 in man-up offense (.565%) and No. 6 in goals per game (23).
But SU’s defense was forgettable. It ranked last among ACC teams in goals given up per game, allowing just over 12 a contest, and consistently faltered against top competition. Now, though, new defensive coordinator John Odierna brings a whole new attitude — centered around intense preparation and an unpredictable scheme — to Syracuse.
In his previous year at Manhattan, the Jaspers allowed the fewest goals per game in the country (8.00) under Odierna’s command and made a third straight MAAC title game. With Odierna’s ability to dissect opposing offenses, SU should have an added boost on the sidelines. And as star attack Spallina leads an even more talented offensive group, the Orange are primed for their best year in the Gait era — and an NCAA Tournament berth.
Anish Vasudevan
Double standard
Record Prediction: 10-5 (1-3 ACC)
X-Factor: Faceoffs
MVP: Joey Spallina
In his preseason media availability, Spallina mentioned the standard of Syracuse lacrosse. A mark set by his head coach, when the Orange won 10 championships in 21 years. A mark he wants to bring SU back to.
It’s far-fetched, but SU’s generational talent is back for another year with a summer of box lacrosse alongside freshman Trey Deere under his belt. Spallina will be better, able to score more in tight spaces while being familiar with Deere. The faceoff unit just needs to get him the ball.
I’m much more pessimistic about the Orange’s chances than my counterparts. I don’t think they’ll scrape together two ACC wins despite almost defeating Duke twice last season. But with this loaded schedule, nonconference wins should be enough to help their RPI and allow them to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Will they win more than one game in the postseason? Probably not. But just making it to the NCAA Tournament is the new standard Syracuse needs to meet.
Photograph by Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
Published on January 31, 2024 at 11:05 pm
